Gravity Racer Set to Attempt World Record in Eastbourne

10th September 2008

A world record is set to be broken this weekend as a Gravity Racer car gears up to break speeds of more than 62mph at the World Downhill Skateboarding Championships in Eastbourne.

Formula Gravity's VXR Nimbus will run on the brand new resurfaced Beachy Head road this Saturday and Sunday as part of the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) World Cup event. With Beachy Head road promising super fast speeds for 2008, the vehicle driven by James Oakley and Jonny Ackroyd is hoping to beat the current world record of 62mph achieved by Lotus at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Eastbourne Borough Council Spokesperson for Tourism, Cllr Steve Wallis said "This weekend really is shaping up to be pretty spectacular. Not only is Eastbourne hosting a World Cup event, but it will also see a world record attempt being made. There'll be plenty of action for spectators to see and with top gravity racers from around the world competing on the twists and turns of the South Downs, I'd encourage everybody to get along to Beachy Head this weekend and cheer on all those taking part."

This will be the second visit to Beachy Head for the Formula Gravity team after they managed to reach speeds of 54mph in 30mph headwinds at last year's inaugural Go Fast! Speed Days.

With Beachy Head road being recently resurfaced and promising to be extra grippy and super smooth, the team are hoping for good weather and to travel at least 10mph faster to set a new official world record. The IGSA will be watching closely to verify times and monitor the electronic recording equipment.

As well as attempting to break world records, the Formula Gravity Demonstration Team will also be on hand this weekend to speak to budding gravity racers and engineers.

With this weekend's world record attempt being the last ever outing for the four-year-old VXR Nimbus, the team are looking for a strong team to start work on a brand new gravity racer to replace the retiring vehicle.

Go Fast! Speed Days takes place at Beachy Head, Eastbourne, from 12-14 September and will see top gravity racers from across the globe competing for the title of best downhill skateboarder. Competitors will race in five categories including downhill skateboard, classic luge, street luge, inline skating and gravity bike.

For further information on the event and the world record attempt, visit www.gofastspeeddays.com or www.formulagravity.co.uk .